The wait is over for Andrew Doyle.

The right-handed pitcher who attended Rock Island Alleman will begin his professional baseball career this weekend after signing a contract with the Texas Rangers, who selected the Oklahoma pitcher in the fourth round of last month's draft.

Doyle agreed to terms with Texas on Thursday and has been assigned to a roster spot with the Rangers' short-season affiliate Spokane, Wash., in the Northwest League.

"I'm anxious to get started. I feel like this is the time for me to make the next step in my career. It's a time where I have some leverage and I feel like the growth I've had at Oklahoma has prepared me well for the future," Doyle said.

"I'm ready for the challenge of professional baseball and ready to get on with my career."

Doyle was the 19th player from the Rangers' 2009 draft class to sign a contract. Terms of the deal were not released.

The 6-foot-3 Doyle, a 39th-round pick of the Nationals in 2006 after his senior season at Alleman, posted an 8-4 record with a 4.21 ERA as a junior last season at Oklahoma.

A pitcher who blends a fastball clocked in the low 90s with an effective slider and change-up, Doyle led the Sooners' pitching staff in innings worked in each of the past two years.

A two-time all-Big 12 tournament selection, Doyle earned second-team all-Big 12 honors following his final season at Oklahoma.